Survey of Consumer Attitudes and Behavior, March 1990 (ICPSR 9649)

These surveys were undertaken to measure changes in consumer
attitudes and expectations, to understand why these changes occur, and
to evaluate how they relate to consumer decisions to save, borrow, or
make discretionary purchases. This type of information is essential for
forecasting changes in aggregate consumer behavior. Since the late
1940s, these surveys have been produced quarterly through 1977 and
monthly thereafter. Each monthly survey probes a different aspect of
consumer confidence. Open-ended questions are asked concerning
evaluations and expectations about personal finances, employment, price
changes, and the national business situation. Additional questions
probe buying intentions for automobiles and the respondent's appraisals
of present market conditions for purchasing houses, automobiles, and
other durables. Demographic information includes ethnic origin, sex,
age, and education.

These surveys were undertaken to measure changes in consumer
attitudes and expectations, to understand why these changes occur, and
to evaluate how they relate to consumer decisions to save, borrow, or
make discretionary purchases. This type of information is essential for
forecasting changes in aggregate consumer behavior. Since the late
1940s, these surveys have been produced quarterly through 1977 and
monthly thereafter. Each monthly survey probes a different aspect of
consumer confidence. Open-ended questions are asked concerning
evaluations and expectations about personal finances, employment, price
changes, and the national business situation. Additional questions
probe buying intentions for automobiles and the respondent's appraisals
of present market conditions for purchasing houses, automobiles, and
other durables. Demographic information includes ethnic origin, sex,
age, and education.

Universe:
Population of the United States aged 18 and older in
households.

Data Type(s):
survey data

Data Collection Notes:

The codebook is provided by ICPSR as a Portable Document Format (PDF) file. The PDF file format was developed by Adobe Systems Incorporated and can be accessed using PDF reader software, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader. Information on how to obtain a copy of the Acrobat Reader is provided on the ICPSR Web site.

Methodology

Sample:
National sample of dwelling units selected by area
probability sampling.